St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-08-04

know they do, as one can occasionally
note in your Querist column instances
of such deprayity of appetite in the
querist's cows. This is probably caus-
ed by some element that is lacking in
their system that is not supplied by
their feed, to stop which habit of
gnawing, feeding bone meal has been
and is now generally resOrted to. 1t
is good if persistently fed but if bran
is as persistently fed, there will be no
need of bone meal at the mentioned
prices asked. Bran at cent pound
or trifle more will, with our expert
ence with it, entirely supplant the
need of bone, and in great measure
the need of the services of veterinary
surgeon, as very seldom if ever, will
you hear of case of the commonly
called bone or horn all or of bone
gnawing cattle, bran having tenden-
cy to keep cattle in thrifty, healthy
condition.
Many will ask, Where is the cream
to come from if bran ratiOns are fed
only as meal ration7 Yes, we know
it is claimed, and think with a good
deal of truth, that bran does not give
the richness to milk or the flavor to
butter that many other kinds of feed
does, rs corn meal for instance but
how many nice cows have known to
come to an untimely end, thus losing
many years of usefulness, by a too per-
sistent, and liberal feed of King Corn
Should prefer oat meal to all other, as
part of the meal ration at least but
we have failed signally to obtain re-
suits so as to have it an economical
feed for us.
But first you want COWS that nat
urally give milk of quality richer
naturally give creamy milk, you need
not fear that extra feed, even if it is
nothing but bran, will materially re-
duce its quality, though it is well
enough to feed mixed with the bran
especially to older COWS, more hear
ty feed, if one can afford the expense.
But no one if in ever so straitened
circumstances, that has one COW or
more, but that can afford to feed their
cows extra, on their failing in guam
tity and nearly cOrrespOndingly in
quality of milk. For verify believe
that if ones dairy is we'll fed and tax
en- care of, it will feed and take care
of you, which will apply as we'll to
all the farmers stock and crops and
hence be one of the ways and means of
alleviating the Strengthened circum-
stances. And with US, all points con-
sidered, wheat bran is the most eco
nOmical of extra feeds to feed to cows
as we'll as to all stock. The fear of
over feeding, of a too long continue
ton of feeding bran to the creature, is
reduced to a minimum, compared to
more hearty and heating feeds. For
feeding to young calves it is excellent.
1t will check dysentery in calves and
will keep them regular as it will sup
ply Lnem WIFI Tile OOne anu pOGdSH Vi
which bran contains large per cent,
that the growing calves are in need of.
1t is better to put it before them dry,
letting them masticate it at their leis-
ure. The only fear the calf raiser may
entertain by feeding it is the difficulty
of keeping it before them after a short
time.
By feeding but small ratiOns of bran
daily to a dry COW with calf and with
enough other fodder, she will lay on
flesh and look as sleek as an "Otter,"
and hardly ever fail of doing we'll on
"coming in" Being in good flesh she
is all ready for business; and if you
desire to sell her at any time, you can,
nine times out of ten, realize enough
more for her than if she had been
Crack a. bone" poor, to pay for all the
bran or extra she has eaten aside from
the consciousness of having some de-
cent looking stock in flesh about you.
st. JOhnsbury, Vt.